All But a Dream

Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn. Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that. While she was drowning in despair, Arthur’s brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him. Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead. Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away. On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there. It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of her life. Just when she was expecting the rest of her life to play out that way, she happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between her ex-fiancé and his friends. “Brett, your brother was the one who died in that shipwreck, but here you are pretending to be him. Did you do it so you could be together with his wife? Aren’t you worried about someone finding out about this?” “I can't be bothered to worry about all that now, I’ve loved Fione from the beginning. I had to endure so much humiliation and marry Claudia just so I could prevent her from ruining Fione’s happiness. Now that God has given me such a perfect chance, I will not sell myself short anymore!” Chapter 1 Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn. Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that. While she was drowning in despair, Arthur's brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him. Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead. Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away. On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there. It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of her life. Just when she was expecting the rest of her life to play out that way, she happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between her ex-fiancé and his friends. “Brett, your brother was the one who died in that shipwreck, but here you are pretending to be him. Did you do it so you could be together with his wife? Aren’t you worried about someone finding out about this?” “I can't be bothered to worry about all that now, I’ve loved Fione from the beginning. I had to endure so much humiliation and marry Claudia just so I could prevent her from ruining Fione’s happiness. Now that God has given me such a perfect chance, I will not sell myself short anymore!” Claudia felt like her heart had broken into pieces. This entire time, they were all in love with her sister Fione. This entire time, Brett loved Fione more than his brother Arthur did. He had to “endure so much humiliation” back then to marry Claudia. And now, he would go as far as to pretend to be Arthur just so he could be with Fione! It was devastating news that she could not bear to accept. She ran into the rain and cried her heart out. The next morning, she hobbled into the hospital completely drenched in rain. “Doctor, I want an abortion!” “Miss Hepburn, your fetus is already four months old and it’s going to be a pair of twins! Your pregnancy is progressing very well, are you sure you want an abortion now of all times?” Claudia felt more anguished than ever when she heard the doctor’s advice. No sane mother would have willingly aborted her own child, she would never have wanted to do this unless she was desperate. Ever since “Brett’s” passing, the entire Maxwell household had been drowned in grief. This was why she had not told anyone of her pregnancy yet. This meant that Brett was also unaware that she was already pregnant with his child even before he assumed Arthur’s identity to be with Fione. Claudia decided there was no need to tell him about the pregnancy since he was so head over heels in love with Fione. “I am sure, doctor. Let’s get on with the operation.” After a three-hour operation, Claudia's face was horridly pale by the time she stepped off the operation table. She slumped against the wall and allowed her weight to collapse onto the bench in the corridor. The entire time, she felt a mild throb of pain in her lower abdomen. Suddenly, she heard a round of commotion somewhere in front of her. She saw a familiar figure show up carrying another person in his arms. Shortly after that, the same person hurried past again, fixing his eyes on Claudia. This time, she recognized the man. It was Brett. “Quick, come with me!” He proceeded to grab Claudia’s arm after that and dragged her in the direction he came from. Claudia had just stepped out of an operation and was still recovering, and her face was pale as a sheet of paper now. However, it was clear that Brett was not paying attention to the state she was in and could not tell she was feeling upset. It was only when they reached the blood donation room that he finally stopped. “She has the same blood type as Fione, use her blood!” Claudia frowned on instinct and wanted to object but it was too late. Brett had pinned her into the chair and instructed the nurses to hurry up and draw her blood. Throughout the entire process, Brett never even bothered to explain the situation to Claudia. As soon as he saw the syringe injected into her arms, he anxiously ran off again to check how Fione was holding up. “What's going on? Why is Mr. Maxwell so riled up?” “Why else did you think? His wife was bleeding a lot. They came here right from the bedroom, those two must have been going at it.” “My, he must love his wife very much. They have been married for five years but it looks like their passion hasn’t died down yet.” Claudia observed the way the nurses threw suggestive looks at each other and pieced together what had happened. So that was it… Brett was going at it with Fione and ended up getting so rough that she started bleeding! When the hospital’s blood reserve ran out, Brett happened to notice Claudia who was trying to catch a break after the operation. He proceeded to grab her and forced her to draw blood for Fione. Upon realizing what happened, Claudia felt as if someone had torn her heart out. The pain was so agonizing that her entire body screamed with pain. Little did Brett know, Claudia had aborted their child while he was seducing the woman he had been longing for. If Brett had cared about her even the slightest bit, he would have noticed something off with her. And yet, he did not. He only had eyes for Fione. Claudia laughed until she cried. 'Very well, Brett. Since you love Fione so much, I will grant your wish. 'From here on, you will never see me again!' After leaving the hospital, she put on some makeup so nobody could tell there was anything off with her before returning back to the Maxwell household. This time, she did not retreat to her room to grieve for her late husband. Instead, she walked straight into the study and knelt ceremoniously in front of Phillip Maxwell. “Grandpa, I have decided to move on from Brett and leave the family!” Chapter 2 After Brett's “passing”, Claudia was the one who took to the news the hardest. Even though Phillip also grieved Brett’s death, the first thing he did was offer advice to Claudia. Seeing as Claudia was still young, he encouraged her to make a new life for herself now that Brett had passed. He tirelessly advised her to leave the family and find a good man to marry. He wanted nothing more than for her to get over the devastating loss. Claudia understood that Phillip was only looking out for her but she had turned down the suggestion without any hesitation at the time. She could not possibly move on from Brett and would not leave his family where his only remnants could be found. She was fully prepared to become a widow for the rest of her life. That was until she found out that Brett had been lying to her since the beginning. The past five years were nothing but a mirage, there was no love to speak of! She no longer saw any reason to stick around. Phillip was not aware of all the underlying nuances. Regardless, he was glad to see Claudia having a breakthrough. He helped her up to her feet and there were tears in his eyes. “Claudia, you finally figured it out. You are a sweet child and I have watched you grow into a woman. I want you to live a good life, since the world is for the living and not for the dead. “Listen, I will give you half of the family’s share, that should be enough for you to start a new, easy life. My child, don’t come back to us again and forget about Brett, make sure you take care of yourself.” Tears swirled in Claudia’s eyes when she heard this. Her parents never loved her but they adored Fione more than anything else. Her ex-fiancé, Arthur never loved her either and was fixated on Fione. Even Brett, who she thought loved her had betrayed her and was in love with Fione the entire time. Ever since she was a child, Phillip was the only one who truly, sincerely cared for her. She nodded, “I will. I’ll do it for you, Grandpa, I will make a new life for myself.” Everyone adored Fione and nobody cared for Claudia. In that case, the only thing left to do was to love herself and cut off all these horrible people who had nothing of value to offer to her! The next day, she woke up at the break of dawn and approached an organization. “Hello, I’d like to buy an island isolated from the rest of the world, do you have anything like that?” After she briefly explained her intention, the agent presented her with a booklet and proceeded to elaborate on the list of options for her. She was starstruck by the mass of islands that came in different sizes and eventually, she picked one of them at random and settled the payment with a lump sum. “Miss Hepburn, the arrangements will be sorted out within a month and after that, you can begin to assume your residency.” With that, the agent walked her out with a beaming smile before briefing her on some particulars. Claudia nodded, “Alright, got it.” When she got home, she started to pack. She never had much belongings to bring with her when she married into the Maxwells because her family never paid much attention to her needs. Although she shared a large bedroom with Brett, most of the items were gifted by him. There were a lot of picture frames hung on the wall and some ornaments that came in pairs set on the cabinet. In the past, the sight of these memorabilia would fill her with joy but it was now replaced by the irony of how Brett’s love was nothing but lies. She proceeded to stuff all of them into a cardboard box. It did not take long before the box was filled to the brim with the countless sentimental pieces she shared with Brett. Then, she walked out with the box and dumped all of its contents into a trash can without a second glance. Right after she threw them away, she looked up just in time to see Brett approaching her. He hardly even bothered to greet her until he happened to notice what she was doing. A deep look came upon his eyes, then he frowned gravely. Claudia pretended not to notice his look and prepared to turn away. Brett managed to call out after her just in time. “Why did you throw them away, Claudia? Aren’t those important memories you shared with my brother?” Claudia stopped short and felt a swell of spite rising inside her. She turned to him and stated in an eerily calm voice, “It’s been long enough. I figured it’s time to move on.” “Move on?” Brett’s expression changed the moment he heard the statement. He reached forward and grabbed her hand tightly, “What do you mean by that?” “Let go! You’re hurting me!” Claudia frowned and shrugged his hand off when she felt the strength of his grip. She massaged her hands which had become slightly sore and red. Brett realized he may have overreacted. He remembered he had to play the persona of his brother, Arthur Maxwell. He tried to suppress the raging emotions inside him but still could not hold back the urge to ask, “You’re leaving?” “That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Claudia's sharp look penetrated the depths of his soul. At that moment, he had a lurking suspicion that Claudia knew. He brushed off the suspicion as soon as it hatched. It was impossible, Claudia loved him too much, and there was no way she would react so calmly if she found out about the truth. With that in mind, he calmed down. “Don't listen to what Grandpa has been telling you. Our family can take care of you. I promised Brett that I would take care of you too, I won’t let you leave.” Claudia broke out into a sardonic laugh at his words. She could not figure out what Brett wanted. It did not make sense considering he would have gotten everything he wanted if she was out of the picture. He got to spend the rest of his life with Fione and did not have to worry about being constantly on guard to hide his secret from Claudia. Why did he seem so unwilling to see her leave? Brett felt something stir inside him when he noted the way Claudia reacted. Just as he was about to speak, the phone in his pocket started to ring. Chapter 3 The phone rang very suddenly and when Brett looked down to inspect the display, his expression softened instantly. When he answered the call, Fione's voice came through the speakers. “Honey, is the soup ready? I’m hungry.” Brett spoke to her gently, “I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s done. Wait just a little longer, okay?” They were standing close enough for Claudia to overhear Fione's sweet and tender voice. “Oh you, you’re the reason I ended up here! We’ve been married for so long, so what got into you last night? You were doing it like a possessed man as if it was our first time.” Claudia stiffened at Fione’s words and felt a mix of pain and sadness in her heart. Come to think of it, it must be his first time with Fione… She stood still without a word but her thoughts were already drifting to some time in the past. Even though Brett had doted on her during the five years they had been together, he had always been very stoic when they were in bed. It seemed like he was doing it out of a sense of obligation. At the time, she assumed that was just his personality. After all, he was never one to show his emotions outwardly. It was only now that he started posturing as “Arthur” that she finally realized what his true nature was like. He was someone who would lose himself in passion when it was with his loved one. When she snapped back to her senses, Brett hung up the call and went to the kitchen to make a pot of soup. When she observed the way he dismissed the housemaids and insisted on making it by himself, she chuckled and walked away. She never left the house over the next few days. She spent her days patiently waiting for her purchase of the island to be finalized so she could get out of this place. At one point, Fione was discharged from the hospital and came knocking at her door. “Arthur has a circuit race today, come and join us, Claudia! I know you are still grieving over Brett but staying at home is only going to make you more depressed.” The two siblings of the Maxwells were the pride of the family. Brett was known for being poised and capable, he had inherited the company and sat at its helm. Arthur was the more adventurous of the two. He was an F1 racer. The siblings had completely different personalities and trajectories in life. Although Claudia was hesitant to go at first, she became curious to see how Brett, who had never driven a sports car in his life, could possibly hold up on the circuit. With that in mind, she went with Fione. When they reached the circuit, Fione went off to look for Brett and left Claudia to wander around by herself. That was when she suddenly heard someone exclaiming nearby. “Do you have a death wish? You’re going to mess with the brakes just to stay by Fione’s side?” Claudia had a feeling she had heard that voice at some point. It was one of Brett’s close friends. He was the same person who accidentally spilled Brett’s shocking secret the last time. In a strange coincidence, she overheard their conversation again. “I don’t even know how to drive a sports car! If I don’t tamper with the brakes, I’m going to give myself away.” “This may work this one time, but it won’t work forever. Brett, I know you love Fione but you can’t forget that she is your brother’s wife and you have a wife as well. Claudia has been crying herself sick grieving for you to the point where I can barely recognize her anymore. “Think about this, she’s a good woman and you two have been together for five years by this, I’m sure you at least have some feelings for her. Why don’t you cherish what you have and move on from Fione?” His pleas were met with deafening silence. After a while, Brett finally spoke, “Just let me have this for three more years. Just three years for me to fulfill my wish, then I will return to Claudia.” Claudia chuckled to herself. 'Don’t bother coming back, Brett. I’ll excuse myself.' From now on, you can be “Arthur” for as long as you want. She smiled to herself and walked back to the seating area to join the audience. Shortly after they assumed their seats, there was a round of applause and cheers welcoming Brett and his team into the circuit. When Brett finally showed up, the crowd’s enthusiasm reached its peak. Fione sat down next to Claudia and smiled with pride. She fixed her eyes in front of her but addressed Claudia as she spoke. “You can’t stay depressed forever just because Brett is gone, you should try coming out sometime, Claudia. “Life works out in strange ways. Both of our husbands were on the same cruise ship but somehow it was Brett who died and Arthur who survived the disaster. “I know you must be grieving a lot these days but you have to accept that it’s just how life works sometimes. You’ve always been less fortunate than I am so all that’s left to do is to press on.” Claudia could feel her breath quickening, even her face had turned white. Just as she was about to say something, she heard a thunderous crash followed by a sharp shriek. “Arthur!” Chapter 4 Claudia looked up and witnessed what had happened. Brett had gotten into an accident. His car crashed into the guardrail at the very first turn in the first lap! The medical staff hurried to the rescue. It took them a while to extract Brett who was covered in blood. He was rushed to the hospital after that. The race had to be suspended following the devastating accident. A group of people who were concerned about his safety followed the ambulance to the hospital, including Fione who was crying hysterically and no longer had the strength to brag. Claudia was the only one who remained eerily stoic the entire time. She could still hear the conversation she overheard echoing in her ears. She was aware Brett was the one who staged the accident. This was exactly what he wanted. He would put himself in danger just to stay with Fione. For a brief moment, she could not decide whether to be exasperated by his utter devotion toward Fione or to feel sorry for herself. A few days later, she suddenly received a call from the hospital. “Miss Hepburn, your rental period for the hospital storage unit is about to end, please come to the hospital to collect your item.” Her item… Claudia's eyes turned red upon hearing this. They were referring to her aborted fetus. She suddenly felt like she was reliving the sharp pain on the day of the abortion. After struggling to contain her emotions, she answered, “Alright, I'll be there right away.” After hanging up, she rushed to the hospital as fast as she could. She was headed to the counter when she bumped into Brett near the in-patient department. The doctor stood by his bedside and expressed with a deep sigh and a lamentable look in his eyes. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Maxwell, but the accident had caused serious damage to your left wrist. I'm afraid you will not be able to race anymore in the future.” Fione was lying next to him in bed and was completely beside herself when she heard the terrible news. Brett gently consoled her, “Don't cry, my dear. It hurts me to see you cry. “Racing has always had its risks, I know you have always been nervous when I’m on the track and I have been thinking about quitting for a while now. “If you think about it, this accident is a blessing in disguise since I can retire now. You have always said that I neglected you for my career but now that I’m retiring, I’ll be able to focus on taking care of you, isn’t that right? “Besides, it’s going to be our wedding anniversary very soon. Let's throw a nice party and celebrate it properly, okay?” He was not very subtle about his attempts at comforting Fione. At last, she broke into a smile and wiped her tears before hooking her pinky finger around his as if she were a child. “Alright, that’s a promise.” Claudia felt another throb in her heart and could not bear to watch their interaction anymore. Just as she looked away and continued heading to the storage section, she heard Fione calling out from behind. She turned around and saw Fione chasing after her and catching her breath. “Claudia! I didn’t know you were here too, why didn’t you come to say hi?” Without waiting for Claudia to respond, she went on. “Arthur is going to need some time to rest and cannot receive visitors for now. You don’t have to worry, I’ll take care of him so you can head back. “Also, he mentioned it’s going to be the fifth anniversary of our marriage in two weeks so he’s going to throw a party on that night. You have to come join us, there’s going to be lots of presents!” Claudia noted the provocative look in her eyes and did not respond. It just so happened that the party was going to take place on the same day she would be leaving the family. After a brief pause, she smiled and nodded, “Sure, I’ll bring a nice, big present for the two of you.” After extracting the answer she was looking for, Fione walked away contentedly. Claudia stared at her departing figure, then reached for her phone to make a call before finally heading to the hospital storage section. After waiting briefly, the hospital staff who contacted her previously came up to her to attend to her. Then, she carefully wrapped the remnants of the fetus that had just been taken out of the cold storage and handed it over to someone she had contacted. “I need you to deliver this to Arthur in person during the party two weeks later,” she instructed with a gleam in his eyes. “This is the grand present I have prepared for him.” Chapter 5 After everything was sorted out, Claudia went home alone. Shortly after she got home, she got a notification on her phone. It was her father who sent her a text. [You traitorous daughter, you haven’t been home for years! Have you forgotten about me now that you’re married? My birthday is tomorrow and you will attend!] The tone of the text was very critical. Claudia lowered her eyes and replied curtly. [OK.] It had certainly been a long time since she last went home. After all, it seemed like the only one that was ever welcome home was Fione. She was used to being seen as an afterthought. Ever since they were children, Fione was the treasured child. No matter how hard Claudia tried to please her parents, she would never compare to her sister who knew how to stir their hearts. When she grew up, she was told she was to wed Arthur Maxwell. Hoping that she would finally have a place to call home, she dedicated herself to Arthur only for him to brush her aside. He only had eyes for her sister Fione. After that, it was Brett who became her sole protector, the only ray of light in her life. She was touched by his affection and saw him as her safe harbor only to be betrayed later. Everyone loved Fione. She chuckled mockingly at herself and turned off her phone. She decided there was no need to read the texts since this was the last time she would ever have to see her parents. The next morning, the trio of Claudia, Fione, and Brett arrived at the birthday party together. When they boarded the cruise ship which was decorated regally to fit the occasion, Mr. and Mrs. Hepburn came up to receive them. They immediately fawned over Fione and Brett. “My dear daughter, you haven't called us for so long! Come here, did you lose weight?” Although it seemed like they were reprimanding her, their tone did not sound anything like that at all. Fione threw herself into the arms of her parents while Brett watched her with a look filled with adoration. The group of them bunched together looked like the picture-perfect family. Claudia was the only one excluded from the group. “Happy birthday, Dad.” She stepped forward and handed over the gift she had prepared for him. It was a painting by a painter that her father was very fond of that she bought at a very steep price. It was only when she tried to get their attention that her parents regarded her with a faint look. They acknowledged her with a grunt and proceeded to gesture to an attendant to take the present from Claudia. In the end, the painting was briskly tossed into a pile of presents. Upon seeing this, Fione immediately presented a tea set that she brought with her and expressed with a jubilant smile, “Happy birthday, Dad! This is the gift I got for you, sorry I had to get it last minute so it was a spontaneous purchase. Do you like it?” Dad proceeded to unwrap the present on the spot and then inspected it from every angle. Mom and Dad smiled cheerfully while they nodded with fervent approval. “I love it! As long as you’re the one giving it to me, I will always love it! Come on, hurry up and put this somewhere safe!” Everyone present at the scene could tell that the tea set Fione bought was very common and could be easily purchased anywhere. Claudia’s present was far more personalized in comparison and yet, the reaction it garnered was completely different. After they finished catching up, Mr. and Mrs. Hepburn took Fione into the hall and hardly bothered to cast another look at Claudia. Fortunately, she was accustomed to being given the cold shoulder. She also expected her present to be brushed aside so she was not very dejected. Halfway through the event, Mr. Hepburn went to the stage and softly cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. He held the microphone and regarded Fione who was standing beside him. There was a loving look in his eyes. Then, his voice echoed across the banquet hall. “Apart from celebrating my sixty-year-old birthday, there is another reason we are gathered here today. “I’d like to announce that from today on, I will be transferring all the assets under my name to my daughter Fione Hepburn!” Chapter 6 As soon as Dad made the announcement, the entire venue fell silent. After that, the audience began to murmur. “Did Mr. Hepburn just say that he would give all of his inheritance to his second daughter? Did I get it right?” “That’s a very bold announcement, is he not going to leave anything for his eldest daughter?” “I have always heard rumors that the second daughter was their favorite child, so it was true after all! I wonder why.” ... Claudia chuckled bitterly while she listened to the crowd speculating. Why? She would like to know why as well. Why was it that they would favor one child over the other so much when both of them were equally their daughters? She felt very depressed by this point and got up to walk out of the banquet hall. There were not many people gathered on the deck at this point and the chilly sea breeze managed to calm her even if just a little. She leaned against the railing and zoned out staring at the endless expanse of sea. At one point, she heard the clicking of heels behind her. “What are you doing here by yourself, Claudia?” The voice carried a very familiar, light chirp and snapped her back to her thoughts. She turned around and regarded Fione quietly. Fione did not seem bothered by her silence. She slowly walked up to Claudia before proceeding to size her up from head to toe. “Don’t you ever think about how bad you have it, Claudia? “When we were children, Mom and Dad only loved me and would not pay attention to you even when you tried to get their attention. Now that they are planning their inheritance, they’re not going to leave you a single cent either. “When you tried to court my husband, he didn’t want you but at least his brother Brett wanted you, but now he’s dead too. What’s the point of living now that you don’t have anyone who loves you, you poor sob?” Claudia could not make sense of any of this. Ever since they were children, Fione had taken everything that Claudia had. She took her parents, her fiancé Arthur, and now her husband Brett… Everyone loved Fione but it looked like that was not enough for her. She just had to rub it in. She caught herself asking Fione the very question she had in mind. At this point, Fione did not even bother to hide it anymore and snarled with a mocking grin, “No reason, I just don’t like you and don’t want someone like you for a sister. I’ve been trying to drive you into the corner but you’re a stubborn one so at this point, I think I’ll have to do something about you.” With that, she suddenly shoved Claudia. “Die!” The sudden shove made Claudia lose her balance and she began to tumble backward. Behind her was the vast, depthless ocean! She swung her arms wildly in search of something to grab onto and managed to grab onto Fione who had accidentally let her guard down. With that, both of them were dragged into the sea! Soon, the sound of their bodies breaking the water’s surface followed by their subsequent cry for help attracted the attention of everyone in the banquet hall. There was a round of panic and shrieks. “Someone fell into the sea!” The penetrating cold of the seawater muffled all of Claudia’s senses in an instant. She did not know how to swim and struggled to stay afloat. The ocean would drag her under its tides every time she tried to swim up. She was terrified and could feel her consciousness slowly fading into the darkness. The only thing left was her survival instinct making her cry out for help. “Help... Help!” She barely managed to break through the surface of the sea again. She heard the sound of two figures diving into the sea. Though her vision was very blurry, she managed to make out the two figures. It was her father and Brett. Just when she thought she was going to be rescued, both of them went straight for Fione without a second thought. Meanwhile, she could also hear her mother’s voice from the deck. “Forget about her, save Fione! You must save Fione!” Despair swept over Claudia and the seawater was choking her breath out making it harder to breathe with every passing second. She was getting exhausted from the struggle and by the time the next wave swept across her, she began to sink to the bottom of the sea. In the end, it was a lifeguard on the ship who rescued her. When she came to, she found herself in a hospital. Unlike Fione who was surrounded by visitors, there was nobody by her bedside. When the doctor who was monitoring her noticed her waking up, he proceeded to go through her medical records. After a while, he sighed deeply. “You just had a miscarriage recently. Coupled with this incident, you’re going to develop a long-term condition if you don’t look after your body.” Chapter 7 “I understand. Thank you, doctor.” Claudia lowered her eyes and acknowledged the doctor softly. After that, the doctor advised her on several matters before leaving the ward. When he reached the door, he brushed shoulders with Brett who was standing by the doorway. Brett proceeded to step into the ward and sat down beside the bed. Then he looked at Claudia without saying a word. Claudia felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing him. She wondered if he had overheard her conversation with the doctor. She looked at him silently for what seemed like forever until he started, “Fione is my wife. I had to save her first.” When she heard this, she breathed a sigh of relief. He had not heard the conversation after all. She was otherwise unbothered by his claim about having to save Fione first. “It was right of you to do that, my dear brother-in-law.” Brett felt a sudden wave of panic at her words. “Didn’t you refuse to address me as brother-in-law in the past?” “I have come to accept the truth.” She paused briefly before continuing without sparing a glance at him, “I accepted the fact that no one will love me.” She spoke in a very calm voice, so much so that Brett felt a dry retch in his throat. He remarked in a drab voice, “Don’t forget about Brett. He loved you.” Claudia smiled. She smiled until her eyes began to fray with red before saying, “He's dead.” She wanted to tell him that the moment Brett had decided to fake his death, he was dead to her. When Brett observed the still look in her eyes, he could no longer muster a word. He felt a wave of guilt washing over him. Then he got up and decided he could no longer stay by her bedside. “I’m going to Fione.” Claudia followed the doctor's advice and stayed in the hospital for a few more days to recover. On the day she was discharged, Phillip gathered Claudia, Brett and Fione and instructed Claudia to sit beside him. “Claudia, they’re going to visit Brett at the cemetery today so you can see him one last time.” He sighed with a mixture of sadness and regret pooling inside his eyes. After briefly speaking to Brett and Fione, he let them leave. Just as they were about to depart, Fione suddenly remembered she had forgotten something and had to head back into the house. Around the same time, Claudia was just about to open the door to the car when she felt Brett grab her wrist. “What did Grandpa mean when he said you would be seeing Brett for the last time? Are you hiding something from us?” Claudia looked at his iron grip on her wrist and proceeded to shrug him off, “Nothing. He only said that because he hoped I would stop grieving over someone who is gone.” With that, she got into the car and slammed the door shut. Brett stared at his hand and had an ill feeling that things were spiraling out of his control, but he could not figure out what it was. When he tried to speak, Fione came running back to the car. “Honey, let's go!” He swallowed whatever he was about to say. As soon as they arrived at the cemetery, Brett’s phone suddenly rang. He snuck a glance at the screen and proceeded to motion for Claudia and Fione to go ahead while he answered the call. Claudia placed a large bouquet in front of the gravestone. The picture etched onto the gravestone looked just like Brett. In the past, she would sob uncontrollably whenever she saw the picture and become filled with so much pain she thought she would die right then and there. But now, she hardly felt anything. Suddenly, Fione produced a letter and began to wave it wildly in front of Claudia while wearing a smug grin. “Claudia, you sure are lucky to survive falling into the ocean considering nobody in our family tried to save you. “I have been very upset recently until I found something very interesting. Do you want to know what it is? “As it turns out, I was wrong last time. Remember when I said that Brett would still love you even if nobody else did? Well, I happened to find a love letter he addressed to me, it turns out this entire time I was the one he had a crush on. “I just found out that he was the one who had been preparing breakfast for me all the time when I was young. It’s not a coincidence that he was always the first person who came to me whenever I was in a bad mood! “I know why he wanted to marry you now, it’s because he was worried you would get in between me and Arthur. Hahaha! You are such a walking and living joke…” Chapter 8 Claudia listened to Fione's incessant insults and began to shut her eyes. When Fione failed to draw the agonizing reaction she was looking for, she could no longer keep up the ridicule and smug tone in her voice. She became upset and raised her hand to hit Claudia. Moments before that, she caught a glimpse of Brett who was approaching them. A sharp, wrathful look flashed in her eyes. She suddenly tilted her body and made herself fall! Everything happened so quickly. Before Claudia even had time to react, Fione was already shrieking and tumbling down the stairs. She was horrified and immediately looked down the stairs to inspect. Unsurprisingly, Brett was completely beside himself and was charging toward their direction. “Fione!” Fione’s complexion was very pale. She pressed herself into Brett’s arm and her forehead was drenched in sweat because of the excruciating pain. She began by trying to defend Claudia but at the same time sounded like she was accusing her. “Honey, it’s not Claudia’s fault, she’s having a hard time getting over her husband’s death. I’ll be fine…” “I didn’t—” Claudia wanted to defend herself but her sentence was cut off as soon as she spoke. Brett was completely enraged when he heard Fione holding back the pain in her voice. He began to lash out without even thinking about it. “Claudia, you have no right to take out your anger on someone else just because your husband died! Don’t forget that unlike you, Fione has a husband to protect her!” With that, he carried Fione in his arms and turned away without even sparing another glance at Claudia. Claudia felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart when she looked at the pair leaving. There was a phantom pain that remained with her the entire time even after Brett walked away. The pain was agonizing. She tightly held her chest with her hand until she cried. Unlike her, Fione has a husband to protect her. How ridiculous! Brett, you of all people should know whose husband you are. Finally, she went home by herself. There were only three days to go until her eventual departure. Instead of staying at home, she went to the places she used to go with Brett when they were still in love. On the first day, she went to the Lover's Bridge. There was a saying that couples who hung their lockets together on the Lover's Bridge would be fated to be together forever. This was the place they visited when they were at the height of their “passion” for each other. It had been so many years ago. When she arrived at the bridge, the railing was completely covered in countless lockets. She walked to the center of the Lover's Bridge and immediately spotted the locket they put here years ago. She could still make out the crooked words etched on its face. [Brett and Claudia. Together Forever!] At the time, Brett held her hand to scribble those words. He had always been praised for having good handwriting but because he was not used to writing while holding someone else’s hand, it had turned out rather messy. Claudia teased him about it for a long time after that. His ear was beet red when he was writing it and he expressed in an uncharacteristically flustered voice, “Claudia, I can’t write properly because you’re all I’m thinking about now! You’ll have to pay for this.” Then, he kissed her. Claudia felt her eyes welling up with tears as she reached for the lock with a key and unlocked it. After that, she tossed it off the edge of the cliff, and with that, it was gone forever. 'Brett, you sure are a wonderful actor. 'I never knew you were so gifted at acting, so much to the point where you had me falling madly in love with you. This entire time, you had devoted yourself to Fione instead.' Chapter 9 The next day, Claudia went to Cocteau Church. The church was located on the top of a hill so she had to climb the three thousand flights of stairs to get to the church. She made a climb with a heart filled with piety the entire time. Four years ago during their first wedding anniversary, they were on their way to celebrate when they got into an accident. In one crucial moment, Brett threw himself on her to shield her from harm. She remembered thinking that if Brett was willing to risk his life for her, she should offer the same devotion to him. Later when Brett fell into a coma in the hospital, she became frantic. That was when she was told that Cocteau Church was one of the most sacred churches in the country and with that, she made the pilgrimage to get a cross for him. Later when he finally came to, they returned to the church together where he vowed to her, “Claudia, I want to be with you forever.” She believed him at the time but now she realized that it was a complete lie. On the third day, she went to see a maidenhair tree that they had planted together. The light green tree of the leaf was dancing in the wind. Etched on the trunk were a few words that had become distorted due to the growth of the tree over time. Despite that, one could faintly make out the words “I love you Claudia and we will be together forever. Brett.” There was a saying that the maidenhair tree symbolizes love, and that was why they came here together to plant the tree. He was holding her hand the entire time they were carving the text. The handwriting turned out better this time. Though the tree had blossomed with leaves, their love had completely wilted. Then, she made a gesture to signal the crew that had been waiting for her instruction. They proceeded to turn on the electric saw which produced a loud, screeching sound. The worker looked at the tree and asked in a voice filled with lament, “Miss Hepburn, this is a healthy tree, why do you want to cut it down?” She fell silent for a long time before smiling faintly. “It never should have existed.” It was a tree born from lies and it should return to the dirt. She stayed awake all night. The following day was going to be the wedding anniversary of Fione and “Arthur”. It was also going to be the day when she would leave the Maxwells. She stood at the head of the stairs and watched as the couple departed for the banquet hall first thing in the morning. Before leaving, Fione even made a point of repeatedly reminding Claudia to attend the party and witness their love. Claudia nodded perfunctorily and waited until they left before collecting her luggage. She received a text on her phone informing her that her purchase of the island had been finalized. She smiled faintly upon seeing the text and left for the airport without looking back. 'Fione. Brett. 'I will never see you two again for the rest of my life.' That night, in the banquet hall. The party had been progressing smoothly but for some reason, Brett was nervous. Fione could tell he was distracted. She went to him with a smile and took his hand in hers. “What is it, Honey?” He suddenly stiffened and realized that he had been thinking about Claudia the entire time. The thought threw him off further but when he noticed Fione still staring at him, he trained a smile and made up something on the spot. “I’m fine, I just didn't sleep well last night. Nothing to worry about.” Fortunately, Fione only nodded and did not pry. After Fione was gone, he called over his assistant who he had previously assigned to keep an eye on Claudia. “Where has Claudia been these days? What has she been up to?” The assistant handed over several sheets of documents and proceeded with a report. The Lover's Bridge, Cocteau Church, and the place where they planted the maidenhair tree. There were all the places they went to in the past. He became even more restless to the point of nearly panicking. He had a fleeting feeling that something was escaping his grasp and every time he tried to catch it, there was nothing but air. When it was time for the present gifting session, he glanced in the direction of the door but still could not spot the figure he had been looking for. He was spiraling inside. That was until the door of the hall was suddenly thrown open. Everyone watched attentively as a man who was dressed very formally walked up to Brett with a present. “Mr. Maxwell, I am delivering this present on behalf of Miss Hepburn!”